Key retainer



P. H. LAMONDE Aug. 5, 1952 KEY RETAINER Filed 00's. 17, 1949 1:92! Eigm Patented Aug. 5, 19572 UNITED- STATES Philip H. Lamme, Hartford, Genn. v

Applicaunocwber 17, 1949,serialrNaizLsec iclaim. (o1. `711-4156) I 1 This inventio-n relates to key retaining devices andvmore particularly to a metal or plasticA casing having a large opening at one end into which the keys may partially extendwhen in retracted position and having a metal loop over which the keys may be threaded.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a small, compact and convenient pocket key retainer that will'rhold in place asmall number of keys so that they willbe accessible individually when needed by pulling the loop to an extended position and will be retained in retracted position when the casing is to be placed in the pocket.

Another object of the invention is to provide retaining means for the wire loop or ring so that this loop will be resiliently retained in its retracted position to hold the keys within the casing but adapted to be withdrawn to an extended position to free the keys from the casing to permit use of any one of the keys.

And nally it is an object of the invention to provide convenient means to remove the loop or Y one end thereof from the casing so that keys may be mounted on or removed from the ring or loop.

With the above andfother objects in view'the invention may include the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specication, I have shown the invention embodied in a pocket key retainer of small convenient size and shape adapted to nt within a pocket but it will be understood that the inventiony can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as dening or limiting the scope of the invention, the claim appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of a key retainer made in accordance with the 'present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in elevation of the casing or retainer shown in'Fig. 1 with the key retaining loop or ring shown in its retracted position;

Fig. 3 is aside View in elevation of the casing shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the casing shown in Fig. 1 with keys in place on the loop or ring;

Fig. 5 is a central sectional view in elevation a modified form of casing, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

In the above. A mentioned `drawing y there .I hallen been Vshown but two ,embodi ments ofthe-invention which `are no'w deemed preferablebutfit is .tog be understood that -changesgand modifications may be made within theiscope ofthe, appended claim withoutfdeparting fromthe spirit of the invention. 'i

Referring more in detail tothe figures ofthe.

drawing itwillbe seen that therehas been provided a sma-llrcasing IU. of metal, plasticl or other` rigid-material, the casing being hollow, closedy at one end and having a wide opening I2 at the opposite end.

Resiliently mounted on the casing Ill and extending from the open end of the casing is a loop or ring I4 over which a number of keys I6 may be threaded in the usual manner. The loop or ring member I4 extends from the open end of the casing I0 a distance less than the length of the keys so that with the loop I4 in the position shown in Fig. 1 the free ends of the keys I6 will lextend` into the recess formed inl the casing I0 and be held in parallel positions.

When a key I6 is to be used it is only necessary to withdraw the loop I4 far enough to free the particular key to be used. This movement is effected by the resilient mounting of the loop. The opposite ends of the loop I4 are parallel and extend into holes I8 vand 2B provided in the casing I0 as shown. One end of the loop extends into a small closely fitting elongated hole I8 so that in retracted position of the loop thev end of the loop abuts against the bottom of the hole. The opposite side of the loop I4 extends into an elongated hole 2D the upper end of which closely fits the wire forming the loop. The hole extends through the casing I0 and is enlarged substantially throughout its length. The space surrounding the loop end I4 houses a coiled spring 22 fitting around the wire forming the loop I4. The extreme end of the loop I4 is threaded and has a nut 24 threaded over it, the outer diameter of the nut 24 being such that it will slide within the enlarged portion of the hole 20. To remove the loop I4 from the casing I0 it is only necessary to remove the nut 24 by any suitable tool entering the transverse slot 26 in the nut. For convenience, the portion of the casing Iii Asurrounding the end of the hole 20 .may be countersunk so that a small coin may be inserted within the slot 26. As shown the outer or slotted end of the nut 24 is ilush with the end surface of the casing I0 when the loop I4 is in its retracted position. To use a key mounted on the loop it is only necessary to partially withdraw the loop, the nut 24 3 during this movement will contract the spring 22, the nut however will prevent the loop being withdrawn far enough to release the opposite loop end from the casing.

Referring to the modied form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 it will be seen that the casing 3|]` is generally similar to casing l0 shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The loop 32, however, is provided with an integral head and extends through a hole 34 in the casing 30 similar to the hole provided in casing I0. On the opposite side of casing 30 is a hole 36 extending downward partially through the casing. At the upper end of said enlargement and its other end abutting a the hole 36 the casing 30 is cut away as shown at 38. The loop 32 when withdrawn against the pressure of spring 40 may have its free end bent inwardly and thus freed for angularrnovement about hole 34 for the purpose of adding or withdrawing or using keys on,V the loop. Y

To assemble the loop 32 in the casing 30 it is passed through the hole 34 before havlng been nent and with the spring 40 in position on the loop.` With the loop in place its upper or free end is bent into the form shown in Fig. 5.

I 'claim as my invention:

- A key retainer comprising an elongated casing open at one end for receiving Shanks of keys, each of two opposite walls of said casing having a bore therein, a U-shaped loop having one leg longer than the other slidably extending into said` bores, the longer leg having an enlargeshoulder in the bore into which said longer leg extends for biasing said loop in retracted position and retain the shorter leg in its bore, whereby said loop may be projected against the bias of said spring to withdraw the shorter leg from its bore for threading keys on said loop or said loop may be partially projected to withdraw the Shanks of the keys from the open end of the casing.

l PHILIP H. LAMONDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,100,647 Baumann Junel, 1914 1,219,873 Sapo Mar. 20, 1917 1,621,347 Vliemer Mar. 15, 1927 2,301,611 Brociner Nov. 10, 1942 2,435,152 Morse Jan. 27, 19,48

FOREIGN PATENTS Number l n `Country Date 187,769 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1922 V201,369 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1939 

